Nokia might not be able to release any new smartphones for a couple of years following the Microsoft deal but it appears no one mentioned tablets, with the company announcing the N1.

The Nokia N1 is a 7.9-inch tablet and it seems to take a few design cues from Apple's iPad mini. So we've pitched the N1 up against the latest iPad mini 3 to see how they compare in terms of specs.

The N1 is slimmer and lighter

The Nokia N1 measures 200.7 x 138.6 x 6.9mm and hits the scales at 318g compared to the iPad mini 3 that measures 200 x 134.7 x 7.5mm and weighs 331g for the Wi-Fi only model.

This means the N1 is slimmer and lighter than the iPad mini 3, but Apple's device is slightly narrower and 0.7mm shorter.

Both look very similar in terms of design with curved edges and an aluminium finish but the N1 comes in Natural Aluminum or Lava Grey, while the iPad mini 3 is available in three colours comprising Space Grey, gold and silver.

Same display

The Nokia N1 and the Apple iPad mini 3 both feature a 7.9-inch IPS display with LED backlight and they both come with a 2048 x 1536 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 326ppi.

With the same size display, same technology and the same resolution, theoretically you should see little difference between these two devices in terms of their screens. If nothing else, picking the same display size, with a 4:3 aspect, is a clear indicator that the iPad mini is in Nokia's sights.

The N1 has more camera megapixels

The Nokia N1 features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus and a 5-megapixel front camera with fixed focus.

The Apple iPad mini 3 on the other hand, comes with a 5-megaixel rear camera, also with autofocus and a 1.2-megapixel front facing camera.

While the N1 has a few more megapixels on the front and rear camera, both the N1 and the iPad mini 3 are capable of 1080p video recording from the rear, but the iPad mini 3 will only manage 720p from the front.

Apple iPad mini 3 will last longer and store more

When it comes to hardware, these two devices are a little harder to compare as Apple doesn't make the speed of its processors as easily accessible as Android devices.

The N1 has a 2.3GHz Intel 64-bit quad-core Atom processor under the hood, supported by 2GB of RAM, while Apple's iPad mini 3 comes with the company's latest A7 chip, which is also 64-bit but there is no telling which will be faster in the real world. We suspect the N1 will be just as fast as the iPad mini 3, if not faster.

There is 32GB of internal storage available on the Nokia N1 while the Apple iPad mini 3 comes in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options so you get a few more options with Apple's model.

When it comes to the battery life, the N1 has a 18.5Wh capacity, while Apple's iPad mini 3 has a 23.8Wh capacity so you should get a little extra juice from the iPad mini 3.

Android or iOS

Nokia has been associated with Windows Phone recently, but the N1 opts for Android and will arrive with the latest version of the software - 5.0 Lollipop, while Apple's iPad mini 3 comes with the latest version of iOS software - iOS 8.

Which of these is "better" is very much subject to personal preference, but both have plenty of functionality and refinement. Nokia isn't just pitching it out the door with Android Lollipop, it's also introducing Z Launcher. This is a homebrew launcher designed to learn the apps you use and present them to you when needed, as well as letting you scribble letters to quickly find content.

In terms of sensors and connectivity, the N1 has Bluetooth 4.0, a six-axis gyro sensor and an accelerometer, while the iPad mini 3 also has Bluetooth, plus a three-axis gyro, accelerometer and Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Conclusion

The Nokia N1 and the Apple iPad mini 3 are two very similar looking devices in terms of design and they are also very closely matched in specs.

The N1 is slimmer, lighter and has more megapixels on board for its cameras, but the Apple iPad mini has a bigger battery capacity, a fingerprint sensor and better storage options, if you willing to pay extra.

Both offer the same size and resolution display and with such a similar design, it pretty much boils down to whether you want Android or iOS, and how much you want to spend of course.

Nokia says the N1 will cost $249, which is significantly cheaper than Apple's $399 starting price The N1 won't be landing until the beginning of next year.

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When Qualcomm announced its new Snapdragon 810 processor back in April, the company said that we wouldn’t begin to see the new chip in commercial hardware until the first half of 2015. That’s likely still the case, but it looks like we’ll see come reference devices with Snapdragon 810s before then.

Some new Snapdragon Mobile Development Platform (MDP) devices were revealed today. First up is the Snapdragon MDP Smartphone, which features a whopping 6.17-inch Quad HD (2560x1600) display, 64-bit Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, Adreno 430 GPU and “the latest available Android OS,” which is Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Also packed into this powerhouse of a phone is 4GB of LP-DDR4 RAM, 32GB of storage, microSD card slot, a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, 4-megapixel front camera, microUSB 3.0 port and a 3020mAh battery. And of course, it’s also got Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology. The Snapdragon MDP Smartphone will begin shipping by mid-December with a price tag of $799.

There’s also a Snapdragon MDP Tablet to go along with the smartphone. The MDP Tablet’s got a 10.1-inch 3840x2160 display, 4GB of LP-DDR4 RAM, 64GB of storage, a microSD card slot, 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization and a 4-megapixel front camera. Powered the tablet is a 7560mAh battery, Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 tech and a microUSB 3.0 port. The MDP Tablet will also begin shipping in mid-December, but with a slightly higher $999 price tag.

So yeah, these reference devices are pretty highly-specced. Since they’re meant for developers and manufacturers to use as guidelines for future hardware and to show what Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 can do, that’s no surprise. And while most of us likely won’t ever even see these MDP Snapdragon devices, much less own them, they do show us what mobile devices could begin to look like in 2015.

How to stop Twitter from tracking what other apps you use on iPhone or Android

By Chris Smith
Friday November 28
Twitter is about to become more annoying for some users, as the company will start tracking what other mobile apps iOS and Android owners are using in a push to better profile users, and thus improve its targeted advertising business.

As Re/code reports, the feature is opt-out, meaning that as soon as the official Twitter app for iPhone or Android is installed, it’ll start collecting data until you specifically opt out of it. Before sending any data to Twitter, the app will display a prompt, telling the user about the feature.

The move should help Twitter improve content recommendations and make Twitter more interesting for new users — instead of seeing blank pages initially, new Twitter users would get some content based on what Twitter learns about them.

Even though Twitter will be able to see what apps are in use on your smartphone at a given time, the service doesn’t get access to what happens in those apps, so removing this feature isn’t absolutely necessary to guard one’s privacy. As the publication reports, others have similar practices, including Facebook.

But Twitter has set up a support page on its website that tells users how to opt out of this new data collection practice.

On iOS, users simply have to go to the Me tab, tap the gear icon, tap Settings, tap the account name they want to adjust, go to Privacy, and adjust the Tailor Twitter based on my apps setting.

Similarly, on Android users can go to the overflow icon, choose Settings, select the account to change, tap on Other and adjust the same Tailor Twitter based on my apps setting.

It seems fairly straightforward. You're not using your Wifi, you should just turn it off to save battery. However, this question isn't as straightforward as it might've been in years past, and while part of that has to do with software advancements, it still has a lot do with the the hardware of your phone and more importantly the trade-off between which radios you keep running.

Most of the time, you should leave your Wifi on. Here's why.

Wifi's not as battery hungry as cellular radiosWifi uses your battery, it's true, but Wifi doesn't use nearly the battery that your cellular radios do. Wifi will instantly connect when in range, and while out of range, it (usually) sips a small amount of battery looking for a network. Let's also remember that turning off Wifi means that you'll be using your cellular data, and while some of you lucky ducks may have unlimited data, that's not the case for most users and if you turn off Wifi and forget to turn it back on, you're wasting valuable data in your cap that could've been just as easily obtained over Wifi.

If you're about to embark on a day-long trip and won't be around any Wifi for it, then yes, turning off Wifi will save your more battery, but there's no real need to shut it off if you're just going between one Wifi zone and another, such as between home and work or out to run some errands. If you're looking to conserve battery while out and about, disable Auto-Sync rather than Wifi — it'll help you avoid distracting G+ notifications, too.

Wi-Fi's not just for internet, it's for locationThat said, if that day-long trip is going to be exploring a metroplex that's swimming in Wifi signals anyway, you might want to keep it on, even if you don't log into them. If you've ever gotten this pop-up while starting to navigate, you might wonder why your phone wants the Wifi rather than the GPS, and this is because of the Wifi Positioning System.

This is used in area where GPS signals may get confused or blocked out by other sources, and it's also a way to help better determine a user's position without relying solely on GPS, which can be a battery-hog while giving turn-by turn positioning and directions. Ever wonder how Google can help you navigate inside the mall? Wifi Positioning for the win.

Wi-Fi is usually free

So keep your Wi-Fi on

Unless you're about to go racing off into the wild, Wifi-less wilderness for the day, turning off Wifi simply isn't as needed as it once was. Our phones last longer than they used to, and let's not forget that these phones are made to be used. If you turn off the Wifi and the mobile data, yeah, your phone's going to last longer. But you're also not going to use it as much.

Sleep is integral to a healthy body and mind, and e-readers may be disrupting the balance. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

Electronics are revolutionizing nearly every aspect of our lives in the 21st century, even the way we read — but is it healthy? Kindles, e-books, and tablet readers have converted many old-fashioned book readers to a plugged-in page turner. Researchers from Harvard Medical School compared reading a classic paper book to light-emitting e-readers right before bed, and published their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences.

"The light emitted by most e-readers is shining directly into the eyes of the reader, whereas from a printed book or the original Kindle, the reader is only exposed to reflected light from the pages of the book," the study’s lead researcher Charles Czeisler, told the BBC. "Sleep deficiency has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes, and cancer. Thus, the melatonin suppression that we saw in this study among participants when they were reading from the light-emitting e-reader concerns us."

Researchers locked 12 people into a sleep laboratory for two weeks to study their sleeping patterns with each type of bedtime reading approach. After they spent five days reading from a paperback book, they switched to reading from an iPad for the next five days. Their blood was drawn after each test and revealed the sleep hormone melatonin was reduced after participants read an e-book. It also took them longer to fall asleep, and they were found to be more tired the next morning. The original Kindle readers that don’t emit light are safe and similar to reading an old-fashioned book.

It makes sense if we look into the brain for answers. Melatonin is produced in the center of the brain, and accumulates throughout the day. When the lights shut off, the optic nerve sends signals back into the hypothalamus and melatonin is signaled to flood the brain to cue it for bed. The hypothalamus maintains hunger, sleep, body temperature, wakefulness, metabolism, sleep and energy cycles, hydration, and blood pressure regulation among others, according to the Endocrine Awareness Center for Health.

The Electronic Enemy

Living in a 24/7 society can wreak havoc on these carefully constructed hormones and brain regions Ever since Thomas Edison’s public demonstration of the light bulb in 1879, we’ve ignored the sunsets, invaded the night, and occupied the dark. Our bodies are meant to be regulated by internal body clocks that are signaled by the external darkness, but smartphones, tablets, and LED lighting are disrupting the balance. Sleep is increasingly being recognized as the key to a healthy body and mind, but electronics can ruin a perfectly good night’s rest, especially for teens.

Poor sleep hygiene patterns start at a young age, according to the National Sleep Foundation. When the electronics turn off, 53 percent of parents report their teen’s sleep as “excellent.” However, only 27 percent of parents report a level of excellence when they allow their teens to keep devices on at bedtime. Parents are no better. One out of four parents said they read or text and email through electronics, such as e-readers or cellphones at least once a week before bed.

"We should be advising people to minimise their [light-emitting e-reader] use in the evening, particularly teenagers who are a group that are using their phones and tablets late in to the evening," Victoria Revell, who studies how light affects our bodies at the University of Surrey, told the BBC. "People who already have a delayed body clock are delaying themselves much further and that is a very important message."

Source: Czeisler C. Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences. 2014.

Apple takes over HTC's home country, iPhone 6 most popular smartphone in Taiwan

HTC's home country of Taiwan is now devoted to Apple, according to new sales data. The iPhone 6 has driven Apple's rise in the region, and of the top ten best selling smartphones in Taiwan last month, various models of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus stole a total of four of those spots. That's a whole lot of Apple love from the country that HTC typically dominates.

HTC still managed to slide into second place in overall sales volume, with Samsung, Asustek, and Sony trailing behind. Taiwan has a population of just over 23 million people, which is about the same as Australia and a bit less than the state of Texas, if you're looking for comparisons.

Quote:

If you can't beat them, join them. (or like I said before, copy them!) IPhone copied the HTC One M8 so closely, no wonder they release their phones much later. M9 will probably come out in March...

This thread is forcing me to vote against apple or make apple users small. I feel with my 11 inch Macbook Air and a Nokia110 i can conquer the world. Anyway this thread makes me feel like I am living in some different world. I dont know much about all this new stuff.

New ‘Super Cookies’ Can Track Your Private Web Browsing — And Apple Users Can't Get Rid Of Them

A security flaw means that users of almost every modern web browser can be surreptitiously tracked online without their knowledge, Ars Technica reports, even when they make use of “private browsing.”

Apple users are particularly vulnerable, as their devices do not have a function that lets users delete super cookies from their browsers.

Most websites place what’s called a “cookie” on visitors’ computers, which is used to track them and record their preferences. It’s how websites can remember your password, for example. Like your web browsing history, they’re easy to delete. If you use your browser’s “private browsing” mode they’re never saved in the first place — and advertisers can't track you, and other computer users can't go back and see what you looked at.

However, a flaw in a modern web security feature called “HTTP Strict Transport Security” (HSTS) allows websites to plant “super cookies” that can be used to track web users’ browsing habits even when private browsing is enabled.

Here’s how it works.

Security researcher Sam Greenhalgh writes that HSTS “allows a website to indicate that it should aways be accessed using a secure connection that encrypts your communication with the site.” This “flag” is then saved by your web browser, ensuring that any future visits to the website are secure. But this can also be abused, using this feature to store a unique number that can be used to track your web browser.

And because HSTS carries over into private browsing, it means the “super cookie” can be used to track you whether you’re attempting to cover your steps or not.

Greenhalgh says that Apple’s Safari web browser is especially vulnerable to the exploit. While clearing cookies on Mozilla’s Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera also erases HSTS flags, deleting the super cookies, there’s no way to do so on Safari on iOS devices.

This means that if you’ve had super cookies placed on your iPad or iPhone, there’s effectively no way to get rid of them short of reformatting the entire machine.

“A notable exception is Internet Explorer,” the researcher adds, because it has no support for HSTS — “although it is in development at the time of writing.”

Greenhalgh told Forbes that he doubts major companies are making use of super cookies to track users. “I don’t think most big name online retailers would risk losing the trust of their customer base by employing nefarious tracking mechanisms like this,” he said. But that’s not to say that more nefarious websites won’t leap at the chance to track internet users’ browsing habits.

Developers for Google Chrome have been in contact with Greenhalgh since he published, and are apparently taking steps to “mitigate the effects of the problem.” However, an online FAQ says they believe that “defeating such fingerprinting is likely not practical without fundamental changes to the how the Web works.

Firefox has since developed a solution to the issue, by no longer carrying HSTS over to private windows. It is, however, a trade-off — favouring “privacy over security,” Greenhalgh writes. If you're trying to buy something from a web site using a private Firefox tab and you load an unencrypted version of the page, then it won't correct you — meaning your credit card info won't be encrypted once you send

Cellphones have become an extension of our arm. They’re our personal assistants, social calendars, and connection to the outside world, and we rely on them so much we actually experience “serious” separation anxiety when we become unplugged. Researchers from the University of Missouri took away unsuspecting study participants’ iPhones to see how they handled it, and the results were published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.

Researchers asked 40 iPhone users to sit at their own cubicle and complete two different word search puzzles. Participants were told they were testing out a new wireless blood pressure cuff, while in reality researchers were just seeing how their body would react once they had their precious iPhone taken away. They completed their first word search puzzle with their iPhone in their possession, and their vitals and puzzle performances were recorded.

But then researchers said their phones were causing “Bluetooth interference” with the wireless blood pressure cuff, and they needed to remove their phones for the rest of the experiment. They completed the second puzzle, and afterward their vitals and performances were recorded along with their self-reported levels of anxiety.

Downs Of Cellphone Dependency

"Our findings suggest that iPhone separation can negatively impact performance on mental tasks," the study’s lead author Russell Clayton, a doctoral candidate at the MU School of Journalism, said in a press release. "Additionally, the results from our study suggest that iPhones are capable of becoming an extension of ourselves such that when separated, we experience a lessening of 'self' and a negative physiological state."

Not only did the participants say they felt an increased level of anxiety, had higher heart rate and blood pressure levels, but they also showed a “significant decrease” in their puzzle performance once their iPhones were taken away. During the second puzzle, participants couldn’t locate nearly as many words as they could the first time while they had their cellphone closeby.

According to the researchers, the study’s results indicate iPhone users “should avoid parting with their phones during daily situations that involve a great deal of attention.” If users don’t keep their cellphones in hand while sitting in conferences and meetings or while completing work assignments and tests, researchers believe it could result in “poorer cognitive performance.”

But what happens to human social connectedness?

In a study published last month from pediatricians, electronics interfere in human relations. Mothers who pulled out their cellphones during a meal had 20 percent fewer verbal and 39 percent nonverbal interactions with their children. They lost many of their little one’s smiles, head nods, eye contact, and hand gestures that indicate active listening, and of course missed out on their child’s stories and daily news updates.

Maybe being connected all of the time will do more damage in the long run. Or maybe we’re all too addicted to technology to even realize our dependency.

From within your Chrome web browser, head on over to web.whatsapp.com, where you'll be met with a QR code.

The last step is to open up WhatsApp on your smartphone and use it to scan the QR code. This pairs your web browser to your phone, and will enable you to see a mirror of all your conversations and messages.

It's important to note that WhatsApp Web only works if your phone is turned on and connected to the internet, so avoid turning it off or switching to airplane mode if you want the web client to work.

SHOULD YOU LEAVE YOUR SMARTPHONE PLUGGED INTO THE CHARGER OVERNIGHTBy Simon Hill
￼
It’s an issue that has plagued humanity since the dawn of the mobile phone. We use our trusty pocket computers so much that they rarely get through a day with any power left. Many of us plug them in at night and fall asleep, content in the knowledge that we’ll wake up to a fully charged device.

But, is it really safe to continue to leave our phones plugged into the charger once they’re fully charged? Is it damaging the battery or shortening its lifespan?

There are lots of myths and questionable ideas on this topic. You’ll find that the Internet is awash with opinions masquerading as facts. What’s the truth? We’ve got some answers for you.

Should you leave your phone plugged into the charger overnight?

“Leaving your phone plugged in overnight is okay to do, it will not drastically harm your device,” says Shane Broesky, co-founder of Farbe Technik, a company that makes charging accessories. “Your phone is very smart, once it is fully charged it knows when to stop the current from coming in to protect your phone from overcharging.”

Eventually the battery is going to noticeably degrade.

So far so good, but there are situations when leaving that smartphone plugged in overnight can slowly reduce the lifespan of your battery.

“Lithium-ion batteries can react poorly if your phone experiences elevated temperatures, leading to a damaging effect,” explains Shane, “If you have a case on your device that does not allow for heat to escape, this heat will increase the temperature of the battery and will cause cell oxidation, which will shrink the capacity and shorten the lifespan.“

Make sure you take your phone case off at night if you’re going to leave your phone plugged in and charging.

What’s the optimum way to charge your phone?

“The sweet spot for Lithium-ion batteries is to keep them charged between 50 and 80 percent. This allows for the charged ions to continue to work and protect the life of your battery,” says Shane. “Charging your device in short spurts throughout the day will give these ions just enough energy to keep them going.”

So frequent top ups, rather than one daily charge up is healthier for your battery. It’s not convenient, but that’s the optimal way to charge your smartphone if you want to ensure the longest life possible.

What to avoid

“The major threat to your battery is charge cycles”, Shane explains, “A charge cycle is where your battery goes from empty or near-empty to full and every phone battery has a limited number of charge cycles before the end of its life.”

You may have a high number of charge cycles before that limit is reached, but eventually the battery is going to noticeably degrade. When it does, you’ll find that it only lasts a very short amount of time, or it will simply not turn on at all.

“Try to avoid going from 0 to 100 percent whenever possible, this will start to break down your battery and give your device a shorter lifespan.” Shane suggests.

Use quality accessories

There’s one other factor to consider when charging your smartphone and it concerns the quality of the accessories you use. It’s always best to use the charger and cable that shipped with your smartphone. Failing that, you can buy another official charger and cable.

Cheap counterfeits are not built with safety in mind and can be very dangerous.

Sometimes official chargers and cables are eye-wateringly expensive. But you can find reputable alternatives. Manufacturers like Farbe Technik produce safe accessories that are fully tested, certified by the likes of Apple and Samsung, and compliant with legislation. If you are going to buy a charger from a third-party just make sure to stick to big brand names.

It’s also important to ensure that the charger and cable you buy has the correct rating. Cross-check the amp or watt rating with your phone’s specifications.

The real risks are found at the cheap end of the market. Cheap counterfeits are not built with safety in mind and can be very dangerous. They often don’t meet safety standards. The London Fire Brigade released a report last year warning about the dangers of electrocution, burns, and even house fires after a number of incidents caused by counterfeit iPhone chargers. The report also offers some advice on how to spot fakes.

Quick recap

You can leave your phone plugged into the charger overnight without too much risk, provided it’s not a counterfeit charger, and you don’t let your phone overheat. For best results with your smartphone charging, here’s what to remember:

Always use official chargers and cables, or certified alternatives from reputable brands and retailers.

I think if your going to use it, read up on it and understand everything first. Careful on your usage too, you don't want to be paying a sky high Bill for it.

Personally, I think it's only brilliant for overseas calls and so on, otherwise I think it's a real time waste altogether. Too much time wasted on what's app as it is. Glad I don't keep it. It was a once upon a time for me :) but who knows :(

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